1. Single Life
A Path to Living Fully

2. What does it mean to be single?
Most people are single for some part of adulthood
Not simply the state of not being married or not having a boyfriend
Lifestyle in its own right with unique opportunities and problems

3. What does society think about being single?
Often seen as a good thing-independence
Possibly seen as a bad thing

4. Why are the numbers of single people on the rise in the U.S.?
Death of a spouse
Delay marriage for further education or career, or have not found the person they want to marry
Divorced people
Choose to remain single

5. By Choice or by Chance Single life as a vocation
For some the lifestyle is chosen because they believe this is the best way for them to grow and to make a contribution to the world
Single life by force of circumstance
Still need to embrace the singleness
Need not consider it only a holding pattern
Embrace life instead of waiting for it to happen

6. A Life of Loving Christian command to love God and neighbor
Love is essential to happiness and to a sense of meaning in life
Jesus taught us about love as a single person
Gives us a model of how the single can be a life of love

7. How do single people love and create life?
Friends
Hobbies (music, sports, dancing)
Being good at their jobs
Learning and developing skills
Caring about their family
Volunteer work: at home and abroad
Giving time and talents

8. Problems and Opportunities
Each lifestyle has problems and opportunities
Considering these can help that person consciously shape decisions on how to live

9. Freedom
Egocentrism
To make decisions based on his or her convictions needs or goals
Freedom to choose for themselves-- from simple to complex decisions
Can take risks
A self-centered or selfish outlook
May not have the constant opportunity for a give and take relationship
Can lead to an inability to commit to anything or anyone
May not want to be tied down
Can lead to a rootless life which lacks purpose

10. Solitude
Loneliness
Being alone for thought, creative pursuits, rest, learning, or prayer
Is necessary for growth of a person
By living alone we have a harder time hiding from ourselves
Can also urge us to appreciate our relationships more
Feeling of sadness from being alone
may feel isolated

11. Wider Friendships
Not Belonging with One Special Person
possibility of a large network of friends
Have more time for many types of intimacy
Recreational, intellectual, aesthetic, spiritual, work, common-cause, etc.
Ache of not belonging to one special person
May be a loneliness that comes from not having one special person
Especially as one grows older

12. Professional Commitment
Job Traps
Some people truly want to focus on their career
Gives flexibility to dedicate more time and even relocate
Sometimes single people feel trapped
Sometimes an expectation that a single person can absorb unlimited work assignments
Employers and other workers may also feel that single people are not as entitled to pay raises

13. Less Expensive
More Expensive
Potentially less expensive
Does not have to support spouse or children
Needs apply only to one person not an entire family
Can opt for a simple lifestyle
Share housing with friends or family
Potentially more expensive
Furnishing home or apartment on one income
Taxes often higher on a single person
Insurance rates are higher too
Tend to eat out more often
May join health clubs or spend more on entertainment

14. A Life of Possibilities
Consider how single life can lead to being fully alive
Reflect on some of the problems and how you would deal with them
You might treat your time of singleness as a time to learn more about yourself
Fruitful way of life

15. We discussed that it is likely that all adults will be single at one point in their life. What do you see as the aspects of single life you will enjoy the most? What aspects will be the most challenging for you? Do you look forward to single life? Why or why not?